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In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Is Satan a "tomporay god"?

The answer to this question is in the verse [2:30]. Below are the translations of it according to five different authors:

YUSUFALI: "Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: 'I will create a VICEGERENT on earth.' They said: 'Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?' He said: 'I know what ye know not.'"

PICKTHAL: "And when thy Lord said unto the angels: 'Lo! I am about to place a VICEROY in the earth,' they said: 'Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee?' He said: 'Surely I know that which ye know not.'"

SHAKIR: "And when your Lord said to the angels, 'I am going to place in the earth a KHALIF, they said: 'What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness?' He said: 'Surely I know what you do not know.'"

IRVING "So when your Lord told the angels: 'I am placing an OVERLORD on earth', they said: 'Will You place someone there who will corrupt it and shed blood, while we hymn Your praise and sanctify You?' He said: 'I know something you do not know.'"

[2:30, translated by Rashad Khalifa] Recall that your Lord said to the angels, 'I am placing a REPRESENTATIVE (a temporary god) on earth.' They said, 'will you place therein one who will spread evil therein and shed blood, while we sing your praises, glorify you, and uphold your absolute authority?' He said, 'I know what you do not know'.

In these translations the word 'Khalifa' has been interpreted as 'Vicegerent', 'Viceroy', 'Representative' and 'Overlord'.

The word 'Khalifa' in Arabic means 'representative'. And in the verse context, the 'Khalifa' is Satan. God appointed Satan as a representative on earth for a limited time (until he becomes a guest in Hell forever). Therefore, by God's will, he is allowed to rule his followers among the disbelievers. On the other hand, he has no power over the believers, as God has decreed in the verse [15:42].

[15:42] "You have no power over my servants. You only have power over the strayers who follow you."

But why did God choose Satan as "a representative" on earth? This sounded strange as his rebellion to God's absolute authority was already proclaimed (38:69). That is why the angels were surprised and they said to God "will you place therein one who will spread evil therein and shed blood, while we sing your praises, glorify you, and uphold your absolute authority?" They knew that Satan has rebelled against God's absolute authority (38:69). But God's reply to the angels' question was: "I know what you do not know". In fact God's plan was to distinguish among the humans those who wouldn't accept Satan as a god besides God. Those people would be the winners.

As for those who accept Satan as a god, they confirm their disbelief. They worship Satan and consider him their lord and their master (34:20). As long as they follow Satan's system, they remain under his power by God's will. And that makes Satan a Khalifa on earth or (a representative) or (an overlord) or (a temporary god).

[34:20] Satan found them readily fulfilling his expectations. They followed him, except a few believers.

Satan has no power over the believers because God protects them from Satan; see 15:42 and 16:100

[16:100] His power is limited to those who choose him as their master, those who choose him as their god."

In 4:117, Quran teaches us that by worshiping Jesus, Mohammed, the sun, the moon or any other idol, the disbelievers are worshiping Satan. Because he is the one who invites them to do so. The Jesus' worshipers are in fact Satan's worshipers.

[4:117] They even worship female gods besides him; as a matter of fact, they only worship a rebellious devil.

In other words there are only two kinds of people, God's worshipers (the submitters) and Satan's worshipers (the idol's worshipers). In the verse [36:60], God tells us not to worship the devil, because he is our worse enemy. And in the verse [16:51], God said not to worship two gods. We should not consider Satan as a second god beside God. God is the only true god.

[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, o children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy?

[16:51] God has proclaimed: "do not worship two gods; there is only one god. You shall reverence me alone.

The disbelievers are under the power of Satan, and he rules them. They worship him and ask him for help. They are like sheep asking for help from a wolf. Anything he promises his followers is only an illusion. But they just don't know; see [17:64] [72:6].

[17:64] You (Satan) may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion.

[72:6] Human beings used to seek power through jinn beings, but they only afflicted them with a lot of adversity.

If you believe in God alone, then you are under the protection of God and out of Satan's reach.

The disbelievers are the subjects of Satan. The devil is their lord, their master, their idol, and their god. They belong in the party of the devil. They are the losers; see [58:19].

[58:19] The devil has possessed them, and has caused them to disregard God's message. These are the party of the devil. Absolutely, the party of the devil are the losers.

The submitters are the subjects of God. The Most Gracious is their Creator, their Protector, their Lord and their God. They belong in the party of the Almighty. They are the winners; see [5:56].

[5:56] Those who ally themselves with GOD and His messenger, and those who believed, belong in the party of GOD; absolutely, they are the victors.

The Quranic verses related to appointing Satan as a "temporary god" [36:60] confirm the previous scripture.

You, Lucifer, said in your heart: "I will scale the heavens, above the stars of God. I will set up my throne. I will take my seat on the Mount of Congregation, in the recesses of the North. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will be like the Most High!" [Isaiah 14:13-15 ]

The devil then took Jesus up a very high mountain and displayed before him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, promising: "All these will I bestow on you if you prostrate yourself in homage before me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! Scripture has it: 'You shall worship the Lord your God; Him ALONE shall you adore.'" [Matthew 4:8-10] & [Luke 4:5-8]

Satan is going to disown his followers on the day of Judgment:

[14:22] And the devil will say, after the judgment had been issued, 'GOD has promised you the truthful promise, and I promised you, but I broke my promise. I had no power over you; I simply invited you, and you accepted my invitation. Therefore, do not blame me, and blame only yourselves. My complaining cannot help you, nor can your complaining help me. I have disbelieved in your idolizing me. The transgressors have incurred a painful retribution.'

List of Quranic verses:

[2:30] Recall that your Lord said to the angels, 'I am placing a representative (a temporary god) on earth.' They said, 'will you place therein one who will spread evil therein and shed blood, while we sing your praises, glorify you, and uphold your absolute authority?' He said, 'I know what you do not know'.

[16:51] God has proclaimed: "do not worship two gods; there is only one god. You shall reverence me alone.

[4:117] They even worship female gods besides him; as a matter of fact, they only worship a rebellious devil.
[4:118] God has condemned him, and he said, 'I will surely recruit a definite share of your worshipers.'

[16:98] When you read the Quran, you shall seek refuge in God from Satan the rejected.
[16:99] He has no power over those who believe and trust in their lord.
[16:100] His power is limited to those who choose him as their master, those who choose him as their god.

[34:40] On the day when he summons them all, he will say to the angels, 'did these people worship you?'
[34:41] They will answer, 'be you glorified. You are our lord and master, not them. Instead, they were worshiping the Jinns; most of them were believers therein.'

[3:175] It is the devil's system to instill fear into his subjects. Do not fear them and fear me instead, if you are believers.

[4:119] ……. Anyone who accepts the devil as a lord, instead of god, has incurred a profound loss.

[7:30] Some he guided, while others are committed to straying. They have taken the devils as their masters, instead of God, yet they believe that they are guided.

[16:63] By God, we have sent (messengers) to communities before you, but the devil adorned their works in their eyes. Consequently, he is now their lord, and they have incurred a painful retribution.

[19:44] O my father, do not worship the devil. The devil has rebelled against the most gracious.

[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, o children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy?

[58:19] The devil has possessed them, and has caused them to disregard God's message. These are the party of the devil. Absolutely, the party of the devil are the losers.

[5:56] Those who ally themselves with GOD and His messenger, and those who believed, belong in the party of GOD; absolutely, they are the victors.

[7:17] I (Satan) will come to them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left, and You will find most of them unappreciative.

[34:20] Satan found them readily fulfilling his expectations. They followed him, except a few believers.

[15:39] He said, 'my lord, since you have willed that I go astray, I will surely entice them on earth; I will send them all astray.'
[15:40] Except those among your worshipers who are devoted absolutely to you alone.
[15:41] He said, 'this is a law that is inviolable'.
[15:42] You have no power over my servants. You only have power over the strayers who follow you.

[17:64] You may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion.
[17:65] As for my servants, you have no power over them. Your lord suffices as an advocate.

[19:83] Do you not see how we unleash the devils upon the disbelievers to stir them up?

[72:6] Human beings used to seek power through jinn beings, but they only afflicted them with a lot of adversity.